Scintillator and detector assembly including a single photon avalanche diode and a device of a quenching circuit having a same wide band-gap semiconductor material

Abstract

A detector comprising a photodetector including a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD), wherein the SPAD comprises a wide band-gap semiconductor material, and a quenching circuit electrically coupled to the photodetector comprising a first device, wherein the first device comprises a wide band-gap semiconductor material having a band-gap of at least about 1.7 eV at about 26° C.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A detector comprising:
 a photodetector comprising a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD), wherein the SPAD comprises a wide band-gap semiconductor material; and 
 a quenching circuit electrically coupled to the photodetector comprising a first device, wherein the first device comprises a wide band-gap semiconductor material having a band-gap of at least about 1.7 eV at about 26° C. 
 
     
     
       2. The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the photodetector comprises an array of SPAD devices. 
     
     
       3. The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the wide band-gap semiconductor material comprises a band-gap of at least about 1.2 eV at a temperature of at least about 150° C. 
     
     
       4. The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the wide band-gap semiconductor material comprises a band-gap of at least about 2.0 eV at a temperature of at least about 150° C. 
     
     
       5. The detector of  claim 4 , wherein the wide band-gap semiconductor material comprises a band-gap within a range between about 2.0 eV and about 4.0 eV at a temperature of at least about 150° C. 
     
     
       6. The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the wide band-gap semiconductor material of the first device is a same material as the wide band-gap semiconductor material of the SPAD. 
     
     
       7. The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the wide band-gap semiconductor material of the first device comprises a material selected from the Groups of the Periodic Table of Elements consisting of Group IV elements, Group IV compounds, Group III-V compounds, Group II-VI compounds, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
       8. The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises a device selected from the group of devices consisting of a transistor and a diode. 
     
     
       9. The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the quenching circuit comprises a second device comprising a wide band-gap semiconductor material. 
     
     
       10. The detector of  claim 9 , wherein the wide band-gap semiconductor material of the second device is the same as the wide band-gap semiconductor material of the first device. 
     
     
       11. The detector of  claim 9 , wherein the wide band-gap semiconductor material of the second device is the same as the wide band-gap semiconductor material of the SPAD. 
     
     
       12. The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the quenching circuit has a quenching time of not greater than about 200 ns at a temperature of at least about 150° C. 
     
     
       13. The detector of  claim 1 , further comprising an amplifier device electrically connected to the photodetector. 
     
     
       14. The detector of  claim 13 , wherein the amplifier device comprises at least one electronic device comprising a wide band-gap semiconductor material. 
     
     
       15. A detector comprising:
 a photodetector comprising an array of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), wherein each of the SPADs comprise a wide band-gap semiconductor material; 
 a quenching circuit electrically coupled to the photodetector comprising a first transistor having a first current electrode electrically coupled to a control electrode of a second transistor, wherein the first transistor and the second transistor comprise a same wide band-gap semiconductor material as the SPADs of the photodetector; and 
 a calibration module electrically coupled to the photodetector, the calibration module comprising a SPAD including a wide band-gap semiconductor material. 
 
     
     
       16. The detector of  claim 15 , wherein the SPAD of the calibration module comprises a same wide band-gap semiconductor material as the SPADs of the photodetector. 
     
     
       17. The detector of  claim 15 , wherein the first transistor has a first conductivity type and the second transistor comprises a second conductivity type different than the first conductivity type. 
     
     
       18. The detector of  claim 15 , wherein the quenching circuit further comprises a first resistor electrically coupled to the first transistor and the second transistor. 
     
     
       19. The detector of  claim 15 , wherein the quenching circuit further comprises a second resistor electrically coupled to the first transistor and the second transistor. 
     
     
       20. A detector comprising:
 a photodetector comprising a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD), wherein the SPAD comprises a wide band-gap semiconductor material; 
 a quenching circuit electrically coupled to the photodetector comprising a first device including a same wide band-gap semiconductor material as the SPAD of the photodetector; and 
 a calibration module electrically coupled to the quenching circuit and contained in a dark box separate from the photodetector, wherein the calibration module comprises a calibration SPAD including a wide band-gap semiconductor material.